비만 관련 한약재 추출물의 특허 분석: 최근 5년을 중심으로

Objectives: Obesity is a growing global issue linked to diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and osteoarthritis. Natural medicines, which are considered safer and have fewer side effects, are being explored for obesity treatment. We would like to analyze the domestic patent status related to natural extract products for obesity treatment focusing on the last 5 years. Methods: We collected patent data in South Korea using the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service database. Patents registered between April 1, 2019 and April 1, 2024 were eligible for review. The screening process was conducted by two independent researchers, and any disagreements were resolved through the intervention of a third researcher. Results: A total of 108 patents were included in this review. Corporations have registered the most patents, followed by the Industry-University Cooperation Foundation. Among the extraction methods, the alcohol extraction method (n=56) was mostly used, followed by hot water extraction (n=26). Citri Pericarpium (n=8), Angelicae Gigantis Radix, Hordei Fructus Germinatus (n=7), Hirudonis Caro (n=6), Maydis Stigmata, Zizyphi Fructus (n=5) were frequently used herbs among 108 patents. The most common channel tropism was to the liver, followed by the spleen, lung, stomach. Conclusions: The analysis showed that various herbal medicines are used in natural extract products for obesity. Therefore, this study can improve the possibility of utilizing Korean herbal medicine extracts in the prevention and treatment of obesity. It also can provide foundational information helpful in the development of natural products using Korean herbal medicines and registration of related patents.